Increased prolyl 4-hydroxylase expression and differential regulation of hypoxia-inducible factors in the aged rat brain

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Jul;297(1):R158-65. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.90829.2008. Epub 2009 May 6.

Abstract

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are heterodimeric transcription factors that mediate the adaptive response of mammalian cells and tissues to changes in tissue oxygenation. In the present study, we show an age-dependent decline in cortical HIF-1alpha accumulation and activation of HIF target genes in response to hypoxia. This inducible response is significantly attenuated in the cerebral cortex of 18-mo-old Fischer 344 rat yet virtually absent in the cerebral cortex of 24-mo-old Fischer 344 rat. This attenuated HIF-1alpha response had no effect on mRNA upregulation of HIF-independent genes in the aged cortex. We have provided evidence that this absent HIF-1alpha response is directly correlated with an increase in the expression of the HIF regulatory enzyme, prolyl 4-hydroxylase (PHD). In addition, our study shows that cortical HIF-2alpha expression in senescent normoxic controls is also significantly greater than that of younger normoxic controls, despite no difference in HIF-2alpha mRNA levels. The posttranslational regulation of HIF-2alpha under normoxic conditions seems to be attenuated in the aged rat brain, which is an in vivo demonstration of differential regulation of HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aging / genetics
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Carbonic Anhydrase IX
  • Carbonic Anhydrases / metabolism
  • Cerebral Cortex / enzymology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / genetics
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism*
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / genetics
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / metabolism*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Up-Regulation
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Hif1a protein, rat
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Immediate-Early Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Slc2a1 protein, rat
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat
  • endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase
  • Egln1 protein, rat
  • Egln3 protein, rat
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases
  • Ca9 protein, rat
  • Carbonic Anhydrase IX
  • Carbonic Anhydrases